In the last two years we’ve seen five drivers dominate F1: Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Button and Alonso.

In my view Vettel, Hamilton, Button and Alonso (in no order) are amongst the five best F1 drivers.

But does Webber also belong in the top 5?

Or is Rosberg or Kubica (or any one else) better?

For me this is an interesting question as I find F1 is most satisfying when the best guys are all in championship-winning cars. I’m trying to decide whether this is one of those eras. My only concern is that someone like Kubica or Rosberg might do a better job than Webber if they were in a Red Bull.

I’m keen to know your thoughts. Are the top five drivers all in the top three teams?

I personally dont think Webber belongs in the top 5. Rosberg and Kubica have generally been far more impressive than Webber but its also a question of what time period. Last year I would have gone Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Kubica and Rosberg in no particular order but I dont rate Rosberg as high as last year and Hamilton is just an absolute mess this season. I have always thought Webber is just a mediocre driver in a very fast car, and this season just proves my point.

To answer your question of Ros vs Kub vs Web, then Kub and Ros are much better hands down (using Kubica’s performance from last year).

I think Webber belongs in the top 5 for this year when it comes to finishing positions and making up lost ground but 2 things have hindered his credibility this year – his qualifying and in particular his starts. He’s had a number of technical problems that his team mate and other rivals have dealt without though.

Last year we need to remember he was a monster in qualifying and lead the WDC more than any other driver in the season. And the difference between him and his team mate wasn’t decipherable enough so that his team could clearly favour one driver or the other.

Webber is a very high quality driver, when he was recruited to RBR initially it was to lead the team over David Coulthard.

Webber’s reputation over the years have been destroyed by poor team change moves and his rather inconsistent results.

Mark has always been a superb qualifier and as people have stated before has always had the upper hand over his team mates until one Sebastian Vettel. Last year and in 2009 he put some devastating results in (Nurburgring 2009, he got a drive through penalty and still emerged in the lead).

It is difficult to say if his pace is dropping off as he ages or if Vettel is simply that good, but Qualifying no longer seems to be his strong point (and it used to be something he done very well).

This year his problems are compounded by his starts, he usually loses atleast a couple of positions off the line and this means he spends most of the race fighting back and destroying his tires. Also towards the start of the season he was seemingly unable to make his tires last as long as vettel for whatever reason.

I will concede that Vettel is a faster driver this year, but Mark still has the superior race craft, some of the moves he has pulled off this year are just masterful.

He has had some bad luck in his career (remember Melbourne 2010? He was running second but had to wait for Vettel to switch to intermediates, and by the time that happened he was burried in the pack, that is a race he could have easily won).

This year being hit by hamilton at Canada, having a 40 second long pit stop at Monaco and not pitting under the safety car at Spa are just a few reasons why he seems to be forever behind Seb. There are plenty of races he could have won but frustratingly for him it just never seems to come all together.

Marks season has gone like this, qualify 2nd on the dirty side, get an average start, end up 5th, fight your way back to a podium, watch as Seb drives away from pole.

All in all he is still a very good driver, definitely above someone like Massa. 12 months ago I would have said faster then Jenson (but less consistent), but Jenson has shown supreme form lately so its hard to say.

Are Ros/Kub better than Web? Maybe. But we need to remember that the pressure of delivering at the front is a whole new level than it is in the midfield. I don’t think Rosberg or Kubica will seem as strong as they do now (or last year, rather) if they were given a winning car next year

I think he does. People say Rosberg and Kubica have been more impressive. Of course they have. However I think some people just like to fortget Webber’s career before Red Bull. For example 5h on his debut in a Minardi; holding off Salo in a much fastet Toyota.

In the Jaguar years he was qualifying sometimes on thr front row. Malyasia 2004 he split the Ferrari’s! Brazil 03, Hungary 03 and a I think a few others he had qualified in top three in the Jaguar.

Kubica was getting good qualifying positions last year in the Renault. Though how come people miss out how Webber qualified when he was at Jaguar and Williams who were quite uncompetitve at the time?

I think Alonso, Vettel and Hamilton are top three dricvers. I think Button and Webber are quite close.

So in my opinion Webber does belong in the top 5 at the moment. He is paired against a teamate who many regard as the ‘next Shumacher’. Though still doing reasonably well, 2010 he was only less then a tenth behind Vettel in qualifying.

Yes I agree with RoboCAT. I’ve always told my friends; people will NOT look at 2010 in 10 years time as Mark’s missed opportunity. They will look at 2010 with awe at, “how in the world did Mark run Seb so close? Amazing! Mark must be brilliant!”

Currently, I’d have Rosberg, Kubica and Webber on a similar level, a fair deal behind the Mclaren drivers, and well behind Vettel and Alonso. As Raymondu says, doing quite well in a midfield car and coping with a title challenge are different ballgames. Based on what Nico and Robert have done, they probably should be as good as the top 4 drivers. But then, based 1997-2004, Fisichella should have been champion with Renault in 05 right?

Apart from his starts, Webber hasn’t done badly this year, having made less mistakes than this time last year. He has made some good overtakes and has 8 podiums, but his biggest problem is the seemingly formiddable driver in the other RB7.

Another thing also is when people just assume Webber is slow and medocire at best. It’s sad. I think he’s a guy who has alot of racing talent who has struggled this year with the new Pirellis.. possibly KERS also?

I find it strange that he can go from 2010 qualifying less then a tenth behind Vettel to half a second down?

IMHO Webber may not be the most impressive or talent blessed driver on the grid, but he is a strong one, built by years of hard work. mtom got right when he calls Web a strong qualifier. Anyway, I don’t feel Vettel and Webber have equal treatment this season. Vettel could be a bit faster than Mark, but sure the difference isn’t a full second a lap! RBR has interest to win the title with Sebastian, not with Webber. We have seen clearly in 2010. This year Vettel made a lot less mistakes and Horner decided to avoid any kind of possible problems since the very beginning..

Anyway, for sure Kubica is more talented, and maybe rosberg is, too. But a top team like a RB won’t never hire two top drivers.. Neither Ferrari. McLaren maybe will.

Webber for me is just an average driver who happens to have the fastest car. I think drivers like Glock, Kubica, Rosberg, Heidfeld and maybe Kovalainen and Kobayashi, could all do better in Webber’s car. He was mostly average before Red Bull (and his early years at Red Bull), with the odd race where he qualified on the front row or close to it.